FOI Request
To whom it may concern,
Under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please provide me with full details of the relocation and benefits package provided to Mike Veale when he became Chief Constable.
Please include:
- Full details of relocation expenses either offered or claimed, including removal costs, solicitors’ fees, house rental etc
- Medical provision
- Car allowance offered and claimed
- Travel expenses
- Professional subscriptions
- Any other benefits offered and claimed
FOI Response
This request has been handled under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000.
Regarding your request I can now inform you that I have completed my enquiries and that my reply on behalf of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland is as follows.
I can confirm that the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland does hold this information.
In regards to the ‘offer’ of a benefits package, I am refusing this part of the request under Section 21 of the FOIA, as it is readily accessible by other means.
Full details of the agreed Terms and Conditions of the Chief Constable’s appointment can be found on the Police and Crime Commissioner’s website.
The law states that I should assist you in finding this information. The aforementioned decision record form and attached Terms and Conditions (Appendix C) can be found at the link below:
ecision 2018/63767 – Appointment of Chief Constable [LINK to appropriate decision form]
The agreed terms and conditions set out in the above document fall within the guidelines set out by the Police Regulations.
1. The table below shows the payments that have been made to Chief Constable Mike Veale in relation to his relocation to the Cleveland area.
Costs
Rent – 3,510 £585 per month for 6 months
Council Tax – 1,122 £187 per month for 6 months
Phone/Broadband – 66 Only £66.32 paid to date
Total 4,698
These payments were made in lieu of significantly higher costs that would have been incurred by the tax payer – in line with Police Regulations – had the Chief Constable decided to sell his current home and then buy another one in the Cleveland area.
At this point the tax-payer would have had to pay the following estimated and conservative costs:
Estimated Costs (£)
Estate Agents Fee (for sale) 5,000 Assumed 1% of £500,000
Fees associated with purchase of new property and sale of current home (legal fees) 1,500 A solicitor or licensed conveyor to carry out all the legal work when buying and selling your home. Legal fees are typically £850-£1,500 including VAT at 20%. Per Money Advice Service website
Stamp duty on purchase of new property 15,000 Assumed purchase price of £500,000
Surveyors Fees 600 Full structural survey per Money Advice Website
Costs of moving 1,200 Given distance of move, assume twice cost of estimate given on Money Advice website
Total estimated costs if alternative approach had been taken 23,300
In addition to the above there would have been the likely costs of any potential dual ownership for six months while current home sells – this would have been circa £5k in line with the costs that have been made in terms of providing the six months rental costs.
2. No medical provision provided.
3. The Chief Constable has been provided with a Car Allowance of £8,200 per annum in lieu of the provision of a car bought for him. The costs of a vehicle would have been up to £35,000 (including VAT) and thereafter the organisation would have been liable for repairs, maintenance and insurance. The costs of either proposal are estimated to be the same for the tax-payer.
4. I am refusing this part of the request under Section 21 of the FOIA, as it is readily accessible by other means.
Expenses claimed by the Chief Constable in the execution of his duty are published on the Cleveland Police website.
5. As part of the Terms and Conditions of the Chief Constable’s appointment, the PCC agreed to pay for the cost of a CPOSA insurance policy for reactive purposes only. The cost of this policy is £3,074.
6. No other benefits outside of the Police Regulations.
Date responded: 18 December 2018